The Illinois Department of Public Health and the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board (MCAB) released the date and agenda for its second meeting. The virtual MCAB meeting is set for 1:00-3:00 p.m. Monday, March 11.

To join the meeting, click here or join by phone at +1-312-535-8110 with Access Code number 2633 070 6422 and Password UXjumiAt553. The agenda includes program updates, cannabis petition process, and 20 minutes for public comments. Persons who wish to register to speak at the meeting may contact Emily Spangler by email at Emily.spangler@illinoisgov or by phone at 312-814-5520.

Those wishing to provide public testimony will be called in the order in which they register. Each speaker may speak for up to three minutes. If there are speakers remaining after the twenty minutes allotted for public testimony, who registered prior to the start of the meeting and who have not spoken, they may be permitted to provide their testimony at the conclusion of the meeting, at the discretion of the Chair.

The inaugural meeting (Aug. 7, 2023) started with introductions from a multitude of members with diverse cannabis-related backgrounds, including nurses, doctors, medical patients, teachers, and more. Solomon Hatch, Deputy for Administration at the Cannabis Regulation Oversight Office (CROO), gave summary of CROO’s functions, and Allison Nickrent, Divisions Chief for Governmental Affairs, highlighted government rules, requirements, and procedures for MCAB members and meetings. In addition, board members discussed bylaws, expectation of board members, and the overall influence MCAB would have on politicians, lawmaking, accepted debilitating medical conditions, and the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program overall.

Before adjourning, two medical patients spoke to MCAB and gave suggestions for improvement for the program with personal anecdotes. The first public commentator spoke about the difficulties acquiring medicine because there simply are not enough medical cannabis dispensaries within close proximity and that the only new dispensaries opening are adult-use retail stores that cater to recreational users and not medical patients. The medical patient also mentioned the high costs of medicine.

The Medical Cannabis Advisory Board has set its third meeting date for August 2024. For more Illinois cannabis industry news, visit here.

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